Photic Driving Experiments

1. 2022-11-16 at 9:17 AM UTC

   #1
   

   aldra JIDF Controlled Opposition
   In short: PHOTIC DRIVING is the effect where if lights are strobed at specific frequencies (usually 3-20hz, but higher frequencies have been tried too) in your eyes or against closed eyelids, it'll induce direct brain activity at the same frequency. Medical techs use it to test brain function in people who aren't responsive as well as to calibrate instruments, check for epileptic response and other things.
   
   What I'm more interested in, though, is the long history of reports of altered states of mind going as far back as the ancient Greeks suggesting that 'trance' states could be achieved through staring at torches flickering at certain rates. I'll post some articles and reports and stuff later, more just interested in the project than the theory at the moment.
   
   
   
   Basically just an Arduino Ethernet (ATMEGA 328) with a screw terminal breakout board to make connections easier and an LCD display/button panel (link)on top. I've connected two RGB LEDs and tied them to a pair of swimming goggles (I'll make the surfaces semi-opaque later, maybe with paper or contact or maybe white paint).
   
   BEcause of the GPIOs the LCD panel needs to function I had to wire the two RGB LEDs to D0,D1,D2 and D11,D12,D13. You cannot program an Arduino board via USB while pins D0 or D1 are in use, apparently, so to update the code I need to unplug those connectors, then plug them back in once the programming's done.
   
   All this does is flicker the LEDs at a specific rate, and you can use the buttons on the panel to either disable or enable the lights, or to adjust the flicker rate up or down without having to re-deploy or use a serial line or something.
   
   Code in next post.
   The following users say it would be alright if the author of this post didn't die in a fire!

   • vindicktive vinny, 
   • A College Professor, 
   • cryptographiccontrarian, 
   • The Self Taught Man
2. 2022-11-16 at 9:23 AM UTC

   #2
   

   aldra JIDF Controlled Opposition
   I SPECIFICALLY wrote this in such a way that it'd be easy to add/change the type of LEDs used, the GPIOs they're plugged into and stuff like that. I'm fully aware that this is (relatively) very slow and I'm rewriting a bunch of shit to move it faster and reduce load, specifically:
   
   - hardcode pins instead of using loops to cycle through the arrays
   - use AVR PORT commands to turn lights off and on rather than slow DIGITALWRITE
   - see if I can find a crystal clock for precise measurements instead of the internal AVR chip's clock, which is not precise
   
   but I also want to be able to test things like different colours and different frequencies for either eye, so I can't just hardcode everything down to the hardware level for pure efficiency
   
   

   Show spoiler
3. 2022-11-16 at 9:25 AM UTC

   #3
   

   aldra JIDF Controlled Opposition
   also this is all stuff I had lying around, mostly from other projects I never finished so there are probably better ways I could've done it
4. 2022-11-16 at 1:34 PM UTC

   #4
   Jiggaboo_Johnson Black Hole
   All this for some fancy Christmas tree lights.
5. 2022-11-16 at 1:58 PM UTC

   #5
   

   aldra JIDF Controlled Opposition
   I considered using christmas lights actually
6. 2022-11-16 at 1:59 PM UTC

   #6
   

   Rape Monster Naturally Camouflaged
   I've driven on benzos like 50+ times in the past couple months
7. 2022-11-16 at 2:02 PM UTC

   #7
   The Self Taught Man Black Hole

   Originally posted by Rape Monster I've driven on benzos like 50+ times in the past couple months

   
   They really make long journeys fly by.
   
   I remember finding a traffic cone melted to the bottom of my engine once. I vaguely remember some roadworks, but still wonder how it got there.
   The following users say it would be alright if the author of this post didn't die in a fire!

   • Rape Monster, 
   • A College Professor, 
   • Bradley
8. 2022-11-16 at 2:05 PM UTC

   #8
   

   aldra JIDF Controlled Opposition
   I stopped doing that when I kept having to fix my bumper like twice a week
   The following users say it would be alright if the author of this post didn't die in a fire!

   • Rape Monster
9. 2022-11-16 at 2:07 PM UTC

   #9
   

   Rape Monster Naturally Camouflaged

   Originally posted by aldra I stopped doing that when I kept having to fix my bumper like twice a week

   
   I've ran over a few curbs here and there but no harm no foul.
10. 2022-11-16 at 2:11 PM UTC

    #10
    

    vindicktive vinny Black Hole

    Originally posted by aldra I considered using christmas lights actually

    
    get high powered CREEs.
11. 2022-11-16 at 2:16 PM UTC

    #11
    

    aldra JIDF Controlled Opposition

    Originally posted by vindicktive vinny get high powered CREEs.

    
    I had a bunch of Piranha F5s lying around, they're pretty damn bright
    
    could use some 5-10W modules but it's a lot of extra work to prevent overheating just to blind myself
12. 2022-11-16 at 2:20 PM UTC

    #12
    

    vindicktive vinny Black Hole

    Originally posted by aldra I had a bunch of Piranha F5s lying around, they're pretty damn bright
    
    could use some 5-10W modules but it's a lot of extra work to prevent overheating just to blind myself

    
    are you going to use them with your eyes open or closed.
13. 2022-11-16 at 2:21 PM UTC

    #13
    

    aldra JIDF Controlled Opposition
    closed, but once I paint the lenses I can use them either way
14. 2022-11-16 at 2:25 PM UTC

    #14
    

    vindicktive vinny Black Hole

    Originally posted by aldra closed, but once I paint the lenses I can use them either way

    
    then cree should be ideal for closed eyes.
    
    just remember eye lids are red.
15. 2022-11-16 at 2:48 PM UTC

    #15
    Jiggaboo_Johnson Black Hole

    Originally posted by aldra I considered using christmas lights actually

    
    When you get it down pat you can hook it up to the Christmas tree lights outside your house and put all your neighbors in a trance like state so you can then suggest salacious things to your neighbors wives.
    
    "When your husband goes to work tomorrow you'll get an unstoppable urge to come over to my house...and make me bacon and eggs"
    The following users say it would be alright if the author of this post didn't die in a fire!

    • A College Professor
16. 2022-11-16 at 4:37 PM UTC

    #16
    The Self Taught Man Black Hole

    Originally posted by Jiggaboo_Johnson All this for some fancy Christmas tree lights.

    
    Oh YES. I want a fancy Christmas light show.
17. 2022-11-16 at 5:39 PM UTC

    #17
    

    Haxxor Space Nigga

    Originally posted by Jiggaboo_Johnson When you get it down pat you can hook it up to the Christmas tree lights outside your house and put all your neighbors in a trance like state so you can then suggest salacious things to your neighbors wives.
    
    "When your husband goes to work tomorrow you'll get an unstoppable urge to come over to my house…and make me bacon and eggs"

    
    I prefer the blinking variety that induce neighborhood seizures
18. 2022-11-16 at 11:35 PM UTC

    #18
    

    vindicktive vinny Black Hole

    Originally posted by frala Oh YES. I want a fancy Christmas light show.

    
    jesus did not die on the cross so that you can have fancy christmass lights.
19. 2022-11-16 at 11:58 PM UTC

    #19
    The Self Taught Man Black Hole

    Originally posted by vindicktive vinny jesus did not die on the cross so that you can have fancy christmass lights.

    
    Oh yes he did. Jesus died to save humanity and allow us to keep right on sinning. Why? I don’t know. But he did. And Christmas lights are part of the deal.
20. 2022-11-17 at 3:56 AM UTC

    #20
    

    vindicktive vinny Black Hole
    i hope they ban christmass lights because of climate change.